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Last week, Mike Lindell threw a two-day long event called the “Moment of Truth Summit,” which was, of course, dedicated to the exact opposite of the truth. Namely, Donald Trump’s “Big Lie.” Heck, Steve Bannon and Marjorie Taylor Greene were the featured guests, so that tells you everything you need to know.

However, it appears the event was not a success. But don’t take our word for it: here’s Mike Lindell admitting that it barely generated any attention. Although, the MyPillow CEO stops short of realizing that maybe it’s because people are tired of hearing crazed conspiracy theories because he immediately launches into a brand new one: Big Tech “suppressed” him, you guys.

Via Ron Filipkowski on Twitter:

We had Google, Google, Yahoo, Bing, Duck Duck, all the search engines worked against us there. I bought ad words on every single one of them platforms so that if you put in ‘Moment of Truth Summit’ or ‘Mike Lindell’s event,’ an ad wouldv’e came up. So it would’ve been the first one telling you where to go there and all these things. This happened back when I did Absolute Proof: The Movie, Google and all of them took away my ability to buy those ads. I expected to come in this morning and have $200,000 in bills from all of them ad words, everyone talking about it and sprading the word.

Less than $100, everybody. What they did is totally suppressed these events and this ad word. I’m here live on Facebook, there’s only 300 people there. They’ve suppressed Facebook.

As for who would be mad about not having to pay a $200,000 bill, well… Lindell has repeatedly bragged about how much money he’s dumped into his election fraud crusade. According to the last figure he’s floated, Lindell has dropped at least $30 million into unsuccessfully proving that Trump actually won the 2020 election.

(Via Ron Filipkowski on Twitter)

Henry Selick is four for four when it comes to Certified Good Movies. The stop-motion animation legend directed The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach, Monkeybone (misunderstood at the time, but a cult favorite now), and Coraline, which came out in 2009. Selick has been quiet since then — stop-motion takes awhile! — but he’ll attempt to go five for five when his next feature hits Netflix this Halloween.

Wendell & Wild follows two scheming demon brothers, voiced by Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele (Key and Peele reunion!), who “enlist the help of a troubled 13-year-old teenager to summon them into the Land of the Living,” according to Collider. “But when Kat Elliot, the aforementioned teen, voiced by Lyric Ross, has a high asking price in return, the two demonic siblings soon embark on a bizarre, brazen, and hilarious adventure that should prove to be a hell of a good time.” Wendell & Wild sounds creepy and cute, a Selick speciality, not unlike The Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline.

Would he ever consider making a sequel to either film?

“People have always wanted a sequel for Nightmare and Coraline,” Selick told Screenrant. “If there’s a good story, it might be worth doing. But too frequently, sequels are just a remake of the first film with some mild changes.”

This is the correct answer. The Nightmare Before Christmas 2 and/or Coraline 2 could be good, but it’s more exciting for Selick to make movies based on original ideas instead of sequels. Hot Topic will be just fine without new Jack Skellington merchandise.

Wendell & Wild comes to Netflix on October 28.

(Via Collider and Screenrant)

Lawrence O’Donnell does not have many kind things to say about Lindsey Graham. And on Monday night, the MSNBC host did not hold back when the conversation turned to the South Carolina senator, who made a dark prediction over the weekend when he issued what seemed to be both a warning and a threat that “if there is a prosecution of Donald Trump for mishandling classified information after the Clinton debacle … there will be riots in the street.” It was this ominous statement that led O’Donnell to make a painfully unflattering comparison between Graham and Nazi sympathizer Vidkun Quisling.

As Raw Story reports, O’Donnell did not mince words on Monday night, when he described Graham as hitting “rock bottom.” And while he noted that the term is usually used to describe an alcoholic who needs to find their way to sobriety, O’Donnell says that “there is no cure for what has sunk Lindsey Graham to his own, very dangerous rock bottom,” which the commentator sees as an unprecedented act.

Senator Lindsey Graham did what no senator in our lifetimes has done. Senator Lindsey Graham said something this weekend that you’ve never heard another United States senator say. Lindsey Graham said something that no other senator has ever said in the history of the United States Senate. Lindsey Graham actually said: If you prosecute a friend of mine, there will be riots in the streets. Those were his words.

The sad part, as O’Donnell noted, is that the friend Graham was referring to was Trump, who the host described as “an actual friend to no one, as Lindsey Graham so tragically knows.”

In fact, Graham was once one of Trump’s fiercest critics. Ahead of the 2016 presidential election, the senator urged his fellow Republicans to steer clear of the reality show real estate developer. In a 2015 interview with CNN, Graham poked fun at Trump’s political slogan by noting that the best way to make America great again was by telling “Donald Trump to go to hell.” He went on to describe the future president as a “a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot,” and stated that “He doesn’t represent my party.”

Fast forward to January 6, 2021: In the wake of the insurrection, Graham was caught on tape criticizing Trump and praising Joe Biden. When asked about his thought-to-be-private comments, Graham had the audacity to say he was “wrong.”

To O’Donnell, Graham’s actions make him worse than a traitor — they make him what Winston Churchill would have called a “Quisling,” a reference Vidkun Quisling, a Norwegian military officer who conspired with the Nazis during World War II to promote fascism to his soldiers and people.

“The big difference and important difference between Lindsey Graham and Norway’s original Quisling is that Vidkun Quisling was a fascist long before the Nazis invaded his country,” O’Donnell said. “When Quisling was collaborating with the Nazis, he was a true believer. Would that Winston Churchill were still with us so we could prevail upon his wisdom to judge for us which is worse. Quisling the true believer or Lindsey Graham, the Quisling.”

You can watch O’Donnell’s full comments above.

(Via Raw Story)

Netflix is no stranger to backlash, in fact, the streamer thrives on it! The latest controversy involves the hit scammer show, Inventing Anna, but, surprisingly, the fallout is not from notorious grifter Anna Delvey, the show’s main protagonist.

The series follows a dramatized version of Delvey’s various scamming antics, including a very real trip that was funded by her friend Rachel Williams, a former Vanity Fair editor. Williams was forced to use her own credit cards while vacationing in Morocco with Devley, who posed as a rich heiress and allegedly conned Willaims out of nearly $62,000 for the trip.

Williams is unhappy with how she was portrayed in the series, and played by actress Kaite Lowes. Williams is filing a defamation case, claiming that her character came off as “greedy” despite the fact that the show is a little ambiguous about what is true and what is false when it comes to Delvey.

The lawsuit claims that “Netflix made a deliberate decision for dramatic purposes to show Williams doing or saying things in the Series which portray her as a greedy, snobbish, disloyal, dishonest, cowardly, manipulative and opportunistic person.” Williams had previously sold the rights to her story to HBO after writing a successful book about the ordeal, which took place in 2017.

Williams hopes to clear her name, though the damage is probably already done: the series debuted in February and snagged two Emmy noms. “The Series has been viewed by millions of people around the world, and as a result of Netflix’s false portrayal of her as a despicable person, she has been subjected to a torrent of online abuse which have caused her personal humiliation, distress, and anguish, as well as damages to her earnings and/or potential earnings,” the complaint reads, citing the fact that Netflix used her real name and distinguishing traits in the series, which allegedly do not reflect Williams as a person.

What would Anna Delvey think of all this? She’s busy putting on VIP art shows and pushing her NFTs from jail, so she’ll probably be fine.

(Via Deadline)

It sounds like Donald Trump will have to foot the bill for his bad behavior with his own money for once.

Currently, the twice-impeached president is in hot water with the FBI and the Department of Justice for lying about the boxes on boxes of top-secret documents he stowed away in his Florida mega-mansion/private resort club. Typically, an outgoing president turns over all classified material to the National Archives to be cataloged. It’s what literally every Commander-in-Chief before Trump has done, but this right-wing despot decided to swipe a few files on his way out and ship them down to Mar-a-Lago for some reason. Now, he’s facing a government-backed investigation that could have far-reaching consequences. And, unfortunately, his friends at the Republican National Committee aren’t paying his tab.

According to a report from Politico, the RNC is not paying for any legal fees related to the FBI search case. That’s a big deal because most of Trump’s past legal battles, including his fight against New York Attorney General Tish James’ investigation into his private businesses, were financed by the Republican Party. The RNC did warn they’d stop paying Trump’s legal bills if he decided to start a third party and run for president in 2024 — something he apparently threatened to do soon after leaving office — but now it seems they’re cutting financial ties earlier than planned. And it couldn’t come at a worse time for Trump who just hired Chris Kise, a former Florida solicitor general, to represent him in the criminal investigation.

Maybe this is all a sign that Ann Coulter is right about Trump being “done.”

(Via Politico)

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week we got new music from Julia Jacklin, The National, Bon Iver, Stella Donnelly, and more.

While we’re at it, sign up for our newsletter to get the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every Monday.

Julia Jacklin — Pre-Pleasure

When Australian songwriter Julia Jacklin began working on her third studio album Pre-Pleasure, she was on a quest to stop feeling like she needed to work on all the aspects of her life, and simply enjoy them. This realization is weaved through her 10-track LP, a witty and fun album that explores pleasure, boundaries, and the art of finally living in the moment.

Stella Donnelly — Flood

Stella Donnelly is another Australian indie rocker who shared a full-length project this week. Her sophomore LP Flood follows her acclaimed 2019 debut, furthering her brand of conversational and jaunty music. The 11-track album include a mix of hooky and vulnerable indie tunes, proving her breakout stardom is more than justified.

Giant Waste Of Man — Biographer

LA-based group Giant Waste Of Man share their monumental LP Biographer. The atmospheric 12-track album expertly combines wistful ’90s indie and early aughts emo influences while making sure to sprinkle in some killer guitar riffs.

Elissa Mielke — Mouse

After making a name for herself with her 2021 debut EP, heart-tugging Canadian songwriter Elissa Mielke releases the five-song EP Mouse. Featuring swelling, sweet harmonies, vulnerable lyrics, and Mielke’s room-filling vocals, Mouse showcases the musician’s delightful, ballad-like songwriting.

Arctic Monkeys — “There Better Be A Mirrorball”

Arctic Monkeys have been touring across Europe, teasing new music live after officially announcing their upcoming album The Car. Though the album announcement originally arrived without official music, the UK band have finally given fans a taste of what’s in store with the loungy single “There Better Be A Mirrorball.” The song starts off slow with a languid piano, clearly still inspired by their suave sixth album Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino. Eventually, Alex Turner’s sensual lyrical delivery croons a wistful love song.

The National — “Weird Goodbyes” Feat. Bon Iver

Members of The National have kind of been doing their own thing lately; Aaron Dessner kick-started his producing career with some Grammy-winning work with Taylor Swift, and Matt Berninger released a solo LP. But since The National are currently on tour, the band shared a new single, the Bon Iver collaboration “Weird Goodbyes.” The song is coupled by a gentle, rolling beat, as Berninger sings about letting go of the past and moving on, only to be overwhelmed by second thoughts.

Whitney — “Memory”

Whitney have been steadily rolling out pairs of dance-leaning singles ahead of their upcoming album, Spark. Their latest song, “Memory,” features pleasant piano keys and charming vocals, continuing the band’s signature upbeat instrumentals while hearkening back to hits off their 2016 debut LP.

Wild Pink — “Hold My Hand” Feat. Julien Baker

After sharing the title track to the upcoming album ILYSM, Wild Pink teams up with fellow indie songwriter Julien Baker for the tender track “Hold My Hand.” Quiet and pastoral, the song features whispered vocals and elegant piano arrangements and points to what’s expected to be another rich, evocative release from the indie group. “I wrote that song right after my first surgery, about lying on the operating table where a member of the surgical team held my hand right before I went under,” lead singer John Ross said.

Tegan And Sara — “Faded Like A Feeling”

Tegan And Sara have quite a lot going on right now. They’re gearing up for a TV show about their lives, rolling out a new album, and Sara even just became a first-time mom. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have new music to share. The sister duo’s new track “Faded Like A Feeling” continues their ballad-like catalog and further previews the album Crybaby, which is set to arrive in late October.

Magdalena Bay — “All You Do”

After making their well-received debut album Mercurial World last year, indie pop duo Magdalena Bay are readying the deluxe release, including the new track “All You Do.” More minimal than the songs on the original album, “All You Do” is a cinematic and laid-back taste of the duo’s captivating music.

Tenci — “Two Cups”

Chicago-based band Tenci won over hearts with their 2020 debut indie folk album My Heart Is An Open Field, and they’re now preparing the release of their sophomore effort, A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing. Their new track “Two Cups” will surely win over fans of artists like Buck Meek and Friendship, with lead singer Jess Shoman’s warbling lyrical delivery layered over an electrifying array of fuzzy guitars.

Djo — “Figure You Out”

Djo, the musical project of actor/musician Joe Keery, is back with another vibrant track ahead of his upcoming album Decide. The song, titled “Figure You Out,” boasts a silky smooth production and atmospheric, 80s-inspired synths which points to an all-around vintage-inspired LP.

This week, UPROXX Sessions welcomes R&B singer-songwriter, Raiche, to the bathroom stage. Named one of Billboard‘s “R&B Artists to Watch in 2021,” she’s amassed more than 20 million streams worldwide and performed at Essence Festival earlier this summer.

Raiche has come a long way since growing up in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, just two hours outside Boston. Her single “Drive,” was featured in Netflix’s “Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker,” and today, she joins UPROXX Sessions with her candid heartbreak song, “Fool.” The track from her upcoming debut album, Loveland, is a cautionary tale to those in relationships as the singer declares: “I don’t wanna be the fool for you no more / I don’t wanna play that part / I don’t want it to go that far.”

Watch Raiche perform “Fool” for UPROXX Sessions above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

Raiche is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Sunday’s opening games of the 2022 WNBA semifinals could not have been more entertaining. There were two close games and the box scores don’t tell the whole story. Let’s focus on one: The Connecticut Sun shot 37.3 percent from the field against the Chicago Sky, while the Sky connected on 35.3 percent of their attempts. You could draw an array of negative or indifferent conclusions, but you just don’t get the full picture without watching Connecticut pick up a 68-63 win.

The Sky want to become the first team to win back-to-back titles since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001 and 2002. The Sun, meanwhile, keep finding themselves in the same spot — they’ve won 20-plus games in five of the last six seasons, they’ve made the Finals before, and were a quarter away from winning the 2019 title. The team has spoken in postgame pressers and interviews routinely over the past month or so that this is their last run together.

Brionna Jones and Courtney Williams are unrestricted free agents in the coming offseason, while Natisha Hiedeman is a restricted free agent. I can’t remember the last time I saw a title contender this open about their lack of time remaining and this transparent about how important this current run is for them. Coming into this series, I questioned whether or not that was a good thing. Connecticut made me feel awfully foolish for that, although I still feel like that’s an immense amount of pressure to put on yourselves.

Let’s dive into Game 1. While the Sun won, I’d be remiss to not start off with Candace Parker, who proved yet again that she’s built to thrive in any environment. In spite of a Chicago loss, Parker played one of the best postseason games in WNBA history, nearly racking up a 5×5 with 19 points, 18 rebounds, six blocks, five assists, and four steals.

Once again, the box score doesn’t fully justify how dominant she was. In a game with seven All-Stars, she clearly stood above the rest. Her defense was unreal, one of the best solo defensive performances I’ve ever seen in a game. She played primarily as a rover at the four spot, helping off of Alyssa Thomas and congesting the lane. She eradicated drives with peel-switches, blew up dribble penetration simply by being a half step into the paint, and dominated the rim. Parker more than held her own in the post as well, one of the few weak spots in her defensive arsenal.

While 7-for-16 from the field doesn’t read “dominant,” you had to watch that game and recognize the defensive attention to fully grasp the gravity of Parker’s play. Connecticut denied her any slips to the rim, tagged her quickly on rolls, and sold out to stop anything even remotely close to the paint. She was the only consistent offensive option and bright spot throughout the game. While the Sky undoubtedly have better punches to throw during the rest of the series, it’s incredibly tough to get a game like that from Parker and still fall short.

The refs essentially let any and all contact fly throughout the game, which heavily benefitted Connecticut, a team that is built to thrive in the trenches. Across the board, the Sun are bigger and even went to lineups with four frontcourt players sharing the court. They used a +12 rebounding advantage to win the margins on the possession battle, battering the offensive glass to bolster their halfcourt offense and dominating Chicago’s misses to get out into early offense.

The Sky played a fairly switch-heavy defensive scheme much of the season and that’s carried over into the post-season. The Sun took full advantage of that, sinking their teeth into every available mismatch and trying to exploit it, particularly later in the game. If the Sky trapped or doubled a drive, often with Parker helping off of Thomas, Thomas would duck in onto a guard or wing and either seek a quick attempt or kick the ball out.

While 6-for-16 from the floor (one of those misses came on a halfcourt heave) isn’t exactly the paragon of efficiency, Thomas was still felt by gauging into the lane. She took only four shots in the second half, becoming much more of a connector in the offense as they found a relative flow — again, this game was in the mud, so any traction was immense.

Thomas is such an intriguing player to dive into. The way her skillset is viewed across the league varies greatly. By definition, Thomas is not a floor-spacer because she’s not a shooter, but she does really high-level things to space the floor that most can’t. She has a good handle at her size and can get to wherever she wants, for the most part. Her quick passing and awareness set her apart. Watch this high-low.

Thomas is one of the best passers in the league. Her interior and post-entry passing are the stuff that I imagine Pat Riley would write a thesis on. She’s constantly moving, probing, creating new angles, and taking advantage of them with her quick decision-making via a pass or a look in the paint. It’s not perfect, and it’s definitely not the same as being a 40 percent shooter from deep off of a variety of actions. However, I would posit that doesn’t make her a non-spacer or a poor floor-spacer. The Sun don’t exploit the interior looks they found in the second half without Thomas and what she brings.

It certainly makes lineup construction funky, and you can’t just “space” Thomas to the corner regularly, although she’s an adept cutter and will find gaps to insert herself into. Even when the Dallas Wings tried to guard Thomas with Teaira McCowan so she could help into the lane, Thomas is too quick for most 5’s to truly leave her alone. She’ll dust a center that sags off of her off the catch or run circles around them until an adjustment is made.

Again, it’s imperfect, but I think my hang-up is that we consider imperfect “bad,” because it’s not the typical way of thought. The bucket that gave the Sun their final hold on the lead late in the game was indicative of the strategy they worked towards to take advantage of switches — I loved this set from Curt Miller.

It doesn’t quite work perfectly, but for this game, it did exactly what it needed to do. Jonquel Jones sets the pin-down for DeWanna Bonner, who then sets the screen for Jones. Then we get another quick pick from Bonner as Jones attacks an inverted pick-and-roll, and due to the odd angling after the initial actions, Emma Meesseman can’t comfortably stay in front, so Allie Quigley switches on to Jones’ drive. Jones has awesome touch and a huge size mismatch, waits a half beat for Quigley to be out of the picture, and it’s an easy layup. The weak-side action with Brionna Jones setting a pin-in for Hiedeman in the slot briefly occupies Parker, and that’s all the Sun need.

The Sun struggled to get Jonquel Jones the ball all game, something that has been an issue all season, but this was much more about how Chicago played her rather than a lack of effort from Connecticut. Even though Meesseman struggled from the field, her defense on Jones one-on-one was excellent throughout the game. The work she did early to deny deep seals, push Jones off the block and out of her spots, and all together deny her the ball paid off.

Jones getting downhill towards the rim is one of the most efficient and impactful things the Sun can do offensively. The Sky sold out to take that option away, sticking every screen that Jones set. No opportunities to slip were afforded. Meesseman didn’t show or hedge off of Jones as chasers went under the screen to keep everything in front. Even when Connecticut tried to establish Jones off of cross-screens, Chicago battered them and forced Jones into difficult looks. She hit many of because she’s the reigning MVP.

I do think the Sun can and should do more to involve Jones, but credit needs to be given for how successful Chicago was at forcing her to be an outlet rather than a primary emphasis. I cannot wait to see how this plays out in Game 2 and the series at large.

Much like Jones, Courtney Vandersloot was the focal point of opposing defense’s attention. This was a major reason why she scored five points on 2-for-8 shooting. I’d bet on Vandersloot having a better game in the next, as she missed quite a few easy looks that she normally makes, but the Sun were smothering. They sold out to stop drives and dribble penetration with hard hedges, timely traps, and stellar rotations behind.

With their defense set, Connecticut had few weak spots. Just watch this possession.

Yes, Parker hits the contested three, because that’s the kind of night she had, but the amount of actions stifled is jarring. The Sun don’t get rattled by Quigley’s screen for Parker, or her second screen for Meesseman. Hiedeman and Thomas halt the ball with their first trap on Vandersloot. Parker pauses after catching the ball on the slip and Thomas returns in front.

Another screen, another hard hedge — Hiedeman’s hand activity to slow the pass is awesome and allows Jones an extra half second to meet Parker prior to the paint. Bonner sinks down to split the difference between Meesseman and Kahleah Copper, Thomas sinks to take away the Copper 45 cut. There’s a ton of length in the paint from the Sun causing a near turnover, but the ball coughs back out to Parker and she nails a late clock three. Still, it’s consistently impressive defense.

Another possession, this time with a forced shot clock violation.

Bonner, who had a really high level defensive game (and game in general), is a menace on this hedge. Bordering on a foul and over aggression, she forces Vandersloot to backtrack. Bonner recovers, Thomas takes Parker — Bonner’s original assignment — and then Parker dribbles into an empty corner handoff with Copper. Note how Bonner almost hugs the screen, making it extremely difficult for Parker to separate from the action. Thomas does the same before switching onto Copper and nearly forcing a turnover. Jones is lurking in the lane, making it that much easier for Thomas to be ok with overplaying and being that aggressive. Meesseman gets the grenade pass and it’s a violation before she can even get the ball off.

One more fun one: Watch how the Sun handle a Spain pick-and-roll.

Odyssey Sims chases Julie Allemand over the initial screen — notice how Bri Jones sinks into the Quigley screen before it’s set with Williams tight on Quigley as well; they’re not letting her get loose and dictate the screen. Part of what makes a screen effective in Spain is some of the surprise factor of a back screen as the big. It’s meant to cause some confusion, but the Sun have this sniffed out from the start.

Williams steps up to switch onto Allemand and deny the dribble drive. Jones hands off Quigley as she flares out and calls out the switch to Sims, who veers back to make contact with Quigley and hands off Meesseman to Jones. Sims forces a difficult catch and turnover, before a turnover back (it was that kind of game) and then a pretty well-contested shot from Bonner on a broken play. The level of locked in you have to be as a team to shut down something with moving parts like that is remarkable.

One adjustment I look for the Sky to make for Vandersloot actually sounds counterintuitive: less pick-and-roll. Why would you run less pick-and-roll with arguably the best ball screen playmaker in basketball?

The Sun are selling out to take away her ability to manipulate space. By meeting her at the level of the screen, they’re keeping her from generating paint touches, navigating East and West, and hitting cutters or crafting open angles to shooters or her own looks.
By not actually running the pick-and-roll but mimicking the action in an empty set utilizing her agility and quick movements, you can generate some more unnatural paint touches.

It’s not a perfect answer, but it’s at least some form of an equation to try and open up more flow and momentum in the offense. Parker and Meesseman are two of the best post playmakers in the league. Taking advantage of that and trying to throw in different looks akin to this is something I felt the Sky could’ve gone to more. With how the Sun are guarding Meesseman to the arc (they are completely sagging off), putting the ball in her and Parker’s hands forces the defense to play up while also not being able to show quite the same aggression as they’d been willing to on traps.

This series is off to a riveting start, in spite of what the box score might indicate. The defensive showcase and chess match for controlling the paint was won by the Sun, but the adjustments each team makes headed into the upcoming games has me pining for Wednesday already.

Can you travel from state to state with weed? Just 10 years ago that would’ve been a stupid question. But in 2022 when marijuana is recreationally legal in 19 states and medically legal in 38 but is also still viewed as an illegal Schedule I controlled substance by the federal government (to which the TSA answers to)… really, what are the rules?

If you’re planning a trip and you’re an everyday smoker, or you just live in a great weed city and want to arrive bearing everyone’s favorite gift, you probably need to know what’s up before you board a plane or pack up the car for that road trip. Which is why we’re breaking down all the rules of traveling with weed here today.

As a primer, marijuana is currently legal in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusettes, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington, as well as the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and our nation’s capital, Washington DC. That’s right, you can smoke weed while staring at the f*cking White House but it’s still completely illegal in 12 states.

One day within our lifetimes, you’ll be able to board a plane stress-free with your cannabis in tow. Unfortunately, that day is not today. While you wait, here’s everything you need to know about traveling with weed in the United States and abroad.

Can I Carry Weed Through The Airport?

If you’re traveling from a recreational/medical-legal state to a non-legal state (such as Texas), absolutely not. Don’t even try it, you’re only asking for trouble. When it comes to the legal states, things are currently a little murky.

Here is what the TSA has to say regarding medical marijuana, “Marijuana and certain cannabis-infused products, including some CBD oil, remain illegal under federal law except for products that contain no more than 0.3 percent THC on a dry weight basis or that are approved by the FDA. TSA officers are required to report any suspected violations of law to local, state, or federal authorities.”

This seems pretty cut and dry — if it can make you high, it’s not allowed. Even if you use cannabis for medical purposes. But then they have this little paragraph:

“TSA’s screening procedures are focused on security and are designed to detect potential threats to aviation and passengers. Accordingly, TSA security officers do not search for marijuana or other illegal drugs, but if any illegal substance is discovered during security screening, TSA will refer the matter to law enforcement officers.”

This seems to be a really long way of saying, “if you hide it well enough, we won’t find it and also we’re not looking.” But the icing on the cake is this last little addendum at the bottom of the page — “The final decision rests with the TSA officer on whether an item is allowed through the checkpoint.” This means if your TSA officer is down, you might get a pass or at the very least, they’ll pretend they don’t see it.

Maybe this is just the TSA’s clever way of saying, “Be nice to your TSA officer if you want to keep your weed.” Fair advice.

Here is the thing though, TSA officers aren’t law enforcement officers, so even if they do find weed and decide to do something about it, they’re not going to arrest you. Instead, they are going to alert whatever law enforcement has jurisdiction over that airport, and if you’re flying to or from a weed-legal state to another one, are the cops really going to do anything? At worst, you might get your product confiscated. This is the gamble that all stoners have to play when traveling with weed through the airport. At the end of the day, flying with marijuana is illegal because marijuana is illegal, but at the worst, if you’re traveling from weed legal state to weed legal state, or within a weed legal state (say, San Francisco to Los Angeles) you’re probably fine, especially if you know how to pack smart.

Also, it should go without saying, never travel with more than an ounce of weed on your person, under any circumstance, unless you want the TSA to view you as a drug trafficker. Drug trafficking is a very serious crime that in some cases carries a minimum penalty of up to ten years in prison, according to the DEA, and a $250,000 fine for the first offense. We can’t reiterate this point enough — marijuana is illegal in the United States of America. If you get caught flying from California to New York, you probably won’t be seen as a drug trafficker (so long as you have a somewhat reasonable amount), but keep in mind that currently there are people serving life sentences in prison for possession of marijuana, so this country isn’t exactly the most enlightened when it comes to dealing with weed.

It’s worth noting that this is all just in reference to the TSA. Each airline has its own rules and all of the major ones, from Delta to American Airlines currently prohibit marijuana on all planes, regardless of destination. Again though, the airlines aren’t looking for marijuana. Do with that what you will.

What About Flying Abroad?

No. Weed is currently legal in The Netherlands, Canada, Uruguay, South Africa, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Colombia, Spain, Belize, and the Czech Republic, and enjoys decriminalized status in a handful of other countries but right now it’s probably best not to take any chances when it comes to traveling with cannabis and dealing with customs. Again, there’s a chance of being seen as a trafficker and in this case an international one.

Our advice if want to get high overseas is to make some friends with the locals. Try new stuff!

Can You Drive With Weed In The US And Abroad?

The same rules apply for driving as they do for flying — marijuana is a designated Schedule I drug and border control is a federal entity. You probably won’t have any issues traveling within your state, or from two legal states (California to Oregon) but if you’re passing through a state where marijuana is illegal, you’re pulled over by the police and they decide to search you with probable cause (e.g. you stink like weed), you can end up in jail. Or fined. Or both.

The bottom line is this: Be smart, manage risks, and remember that the cool thing about visiting weed legal states is that WEED IS LEGAL. So you can always just buy product at your final destination. In fact, we’d argue that this is part of the fun. Do beer drinkers bring bottles with them wherever they go? No, they connect with the local scene — you can do the same!